Christmas holiday with kids cheaply

[Deleted User]

Why not stay at home BUT have the traditional (not commercial) Christmas? Your local Church 'crib service' on Xmas Eve, carols, telly off, nice food, small presents, board games, satsumas, maybe watch DVDs of 'It's a Wonderful Life' & 'A Christmas Carol' together? Turn the screens & phones off for day and enjoy being together... Just a suggestion!

Or why not enquire about mon-fri breaks at self-catering cottages like this: http://www.independentcottages.co.uk/dorset/holiday-cottages/thecottageabbotsbury

Jinx

Can I just say Scottish cottages are lovely - but if coming for Christmas, bring shovels etc and choose one that is not miles from anywhere....... We do quite frequently get a lot of snow and places north of the Forth Road Bridge especially near the A9 get completely cutoff. Getting snowed in is one thing but getting snowed out from the cottage is something else!

Ross Priory at Loch Lomond has a cute cottage in the grounds - that's the only one that I've been to as I live in the Scottish Borders anyway

(im thinking abroad for some heat at xmas lol)

sillygoose

Octobergirl wrote: »

Hi Sillygoose, you've hit the nail on the head, we always have a fantastic, stressfree family time when we get away. We're in Yorkshire, but happy to travel 4 /5 hours, Cornwall up to Edinburgh. I've been googling self catering cottages for days, but there's so much choice I'm going round in circles!

I use Quality Cottages a lot! over many years, there are cheaper, but the service is brilliant and the quality of the cottages is always good, they pick them carefully for the best locations.

They have some over the Christmas week within budget. Go for somewhere like North Wales or the Lleyn Peninsula and hopefully if you get some snow its a magical place we all go on a dragon hunt!. There is a relatively easy laid path up Snowdon, even if you only get a quarter way up its wondrous with its hidden lakes and ruins. Walks on the beach in winter are still fun. We always find plenty of stuff is still going on, then home to a real fire. Presents are smuggled out to the cottage in the roofbox in black bin bags, we write to Santa to let him know our forwarding address

Christmas still goes on without a Turkey. I hope you can sort something out

pigpen

Octobergirl wrote: »

Hi mountainof debt, I think the children had been so wound up about it, they seemed to start preparations at school at the beginning of December, it was so dragged out.

Christmas Eve with all the little traditions was lovely, we did a buffet Boxing Day for family which again was lovely. Christmas Day itself was horrendous, I hated the mountains of presents, the day seemed to have no meaning to it, the kids were 'overdone' and fractious iykwim. We're not religious and don't go to church, but I feel as though it needs a focus other than the presents/ family get together/ meal etc

I want to be doing something on the day, I'm just not sure what!!

The mountains of presents get smaller as they get older and the stuff they want/need gets more pricey but comes in smaller boxes!

You could just go for a walk or to the park.. it is pretty busy in the park on Christmas day with children on their new scooters and bikes it is quite surprising who you bump into!

Mine actually like going to the church carol service on Christmas eve (it is 5:30 so not late) half an hour of singing the same songs they do at school (away in a manger, silent night, etc) makes them happy.. who am I to argue? It is one of the few times I go with them if I am honest.

It is a bit much when they are being wound up at school for 3 weeks with parties and disco's and craft and games and less emphasis on getting 'proper' learning done.

I always felt Christmas day to be a bit deflated and a let down after all the hype in the preceeding weeks.

My uncle bought an apartment in Lanzrote so he could escape at Christmas every year.

Octobergirl

Thank you all for your suggestions and ideas. The quality cottages website is really good, I shall definitely be using that for the summer. Now I've worked out what I do / don't want....I've discovered fountains abbey is open on Christmas Day, followed by the Ripon pilgrimage and carol service on Boxing Day, so it looks like we will be staying home after all. Many thanks xx

bylromarha

We had Cmas with family a few years back and stayed in Premier Inn.

Granted, it doesn't have the cottage lovely feel, but there were selection packs when we booked in Cmas Eve, £49 for the room.

If you do your research carefully, you could stay in a really lonesome area, go for walks or good play parks. Take a couple of board games the kids enjoy. Book in for a Cmas lunch at a local pub.

The cathedral in the city we live in do a fantastic child friendly Cmas Eve service around 2pm every year.


Mmm...am getting ideas now for my own Cmas.